Brandon Ingram facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brandon Ingram

Ingram with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020
No. 14 – New Orleans Pelicans
Small forward
Personal information
Born	(1997-09-02) September 2, 1997 (age 27) Kinston, North Carolina, U.S.
High school	Kinston (Kinston, North Carolina)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	Duke (2015–2016)
NBA Draft	2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career	2016–present
League	NBA
Career history
2016–2019	Los Angeles Lakers
2019–present	New Orleans Pelicans
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2020) NBA Most Improved Player (2020) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2017) AP Honorable Mention All-American (2016) Second-team All-ACC (2016) ACC Rookie of the Year (2016) McDonald's All-American (2015) First-team Parade All-American (2015) North Carolina Mr. Basketball (2015)

Brandon Xavier Ingram (born September 2, 1997) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the New Orleans Pelicans in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was picked second overall in the 2016 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

After being traded to New Orleans, he became an NBA All-Star for the first time. In 2020, he was named the NBA Most Improved Player during his first season with the Pelicans.

Ingram had a great high school career in North Carolina. He helped his team win state championships all four years. He was also named North Carolina Mr. Basketball. He played one year of college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. There, he was named Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Rookie of the Year. After that season, Ingram decided to join the NBA draft. He played three seasons with the Lakers. In 2019, he was traded to New Orleans in a big deal for All-Star Anthony Davis.

Early Life and Basketball Start

Brandon Ingram was born on September 2, 1997, in Kinston, North Carolina. His parents are Donald and Joann Ingram. He has an older half-brother, Donovan, and an older half-sister, Brittany.

Brandon's father, Donald, used to play semi-pro basketball. He also played pickup games with a young Jerry Stackhouse, who later became an ex-NBA star. Stackhouse, who was also from Kinston, became friends with Brandon's father.

Brandon's brother, Donovan, taught him a lot about basketball. Even before Brandon was a teenager, his brother let him play with older friends. Brandon said this helped his game a lot. His brother, known as Bo, played college basketball too. When Brandon was in eighth grade, Jerry Stackhouse became his Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach. He helped mentor Brandon.

Brandon's father, who was also a high school and college referee, taught him the rules of the game. Brandon played all four years of high school basketball at Kinston High School. He helped his team win four state championships in a row!

High School Success

In his first year at Kinston High, Brandon started on the bench. But his role on the team quickly grew. In 2012, his team, the Kinston Vikings, won the state championship. They beat Cuthbertson High School by three points.

As a sophomore, Kinston won the state title again against Cuthbertson. Ingram averaged 12.4 points per game (ppg), 3.9 rebounds per game (rpg), and 1.5 assists per game (apg). Before his junior year, Brandon really improved his game during summer AAU basketball. He played for the Stackhouse Elite team. College coaches started paying a lot of attention to him.

Ingram playing in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Game

In his junior year, Ingram led the Kinston Vikings to their third straight state title. He scored 28 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the championship game. That season, the Vikings had a great record of 26 wins and 4 losses. Ingram averaged 19.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game. He was named Eastern Regional Most Valuable Player (MVP).

As a senior, he averaged 24.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He led the Vikings to a 26–4 record. In his final high school game, he was named MVP of the state championship. He scored 28 points, had 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks. This win made Ingram the first male basketball player to win four state championships in a row!

After his senior season, Ingram played in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. He scored 15 points and had five rebounds. He was considered one of the best high school players in the country. ESPN and Scout ranked him as the No. 3 overall recruit. He was named North Carolina's Mr. Basketball. On April 27, 2015, he announced he would play for Duke University.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Brandon Ingram SF	Kinston, NC	Kinston HS	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Apr 27, 2015
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 3, 1 (SF)   Rivals: 4, 2 (SF)  ESPN: 3, 1 (SF)
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career at Duke

Ingram started his college career at Duke with strong performances. In his first game for Duke, he scored 15 points. In his second game, he scored 21 points. He was named to the 50-man Wooden Award preseason watchlist, which recognizes top college players.

In December 2015, Ingram had a great five-game stretch. He averaged 21.2 points and 8.8 rebounds. He scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a win over Georgia Southern. He also blocked a career-high 6 shots in a game against Virginia Tech.

In January 2016, he scored 25 points and had 9 rebounds in his ACC debut. He was voted ACC Rookie of the Week multiple times. He helped Duke win important games, including a close one against rival North Carolina.

In the 2016 NCAA tournament, Duke made it to the Sweet 16. Ingram scored 24 points in their final game against Oregon. For the season, Ingram averaged 17.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He was named ACC Rookie of the Year. He also earned an honorable mention as an AP All-American. On April 4, 2016, Ingram decided to enter the 2016 NBA draft, ending his college career early.

Professional Career

Los Angeles Lakers (2016–2019)

On June 23, 2016, the Los Angeles Lakers picked Ingram as the second overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He was one of the youngest players drafted that year. He signed his first contract with the Lakers on August 23, 2016.

Ingram made his NBA debut on October 26, 2016, scoring nine points. In his first start, he scored 16 points. On December 17, he almost got a triple-double (reaching double digits in three stats). He had nine points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. At the end of the season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

In the 2017 NBA Summer League, Ingram scored 26 points in his first game. On October 20, 2017, he scored a career-high 25 points. On November 29, he set a new career high with 32 points. On December 7, he scored 21 points, including the game-winning three-pointer, to help the Lakers win. He also played in the Rising Stars Challenge during the NBA All-Star Weekend for two years in a row. In March 2019, Ingram had to miss the rest of the season due to a health issue with his arm.

New Orleans Pelicans (2019–present)

On July 6, 2019, the Lakers traded Ingram to the New Orleans Pelicans. This trade also included Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, plus draft picks, for All-Star Anthony Davis.

On November 4, 2019, Ingram scored a career-high 40 points. On January 16, 2020, he scored even more, reaching 49 points in an overtime win against the Utah Jazz. Ingram became an NBA All-Star in his first year with the Pelicans. He was also named the NBA Most Improved Player after averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. After this great season, Ingram signed a new five-year contract with the Pelicans.

On December 3, 2021, Ingram had a career-high 12 assists. Two days later, he scored a season-high 40 points. On January 11, 2022, Ingram scored 33 points and made a game-winning three-pointer. In the 2022 NBA playoffs, Ingram played very well. In Game 2 against the Phoenix Suns, he scored 37 points, had 11 rebounds, and 9 assists. Even though the Pelicans lost the series, Ingram averaged 27.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.

On March 24, 2023, Ingram achieved his first triple-double in the NBA. He had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. On March 30, he got another triple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He joined Chris Paul as the only Pelicans players with multiple games of at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. In the final game of the 2022–23 NBA season, Ingram scored a season-high 42 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

On February 6, 2024, Ingram scored 41 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors. He made history by being the first NBA player to score at least 40 points, make eight or more three-pointers, shoot at least 75% from the field, and not have any turnovers in a game.

National Team Career

Ingram was chosen for the 2016 U.S. select team. This team trained with the 2016 U.S. Olympic basketball team. He was also part of the United States national team that played in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Player Profile

Ingram during a closed practice of the 2015 McDonald's All-American Game

Brandon Ingram is 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) tall and weighs 196 pounds (89 kg). He mainly plays as a small forward. He has very long arms, with a 7-foot-3-inch (2.21 m) wingspan. This helps him shoot over defenders and block shots.

Many people compare Ingram to NBA star Kevin Durant. Ingram has said he tries to learn from Durant's playing style. Durant himself once said that Ingram is "the first person that I could... look at him and feel like I'm looking in the mirror."

Off the Court

When he was a kid, Brandon loved fishing with his grandmother at Atlantic Beach. Ingram has endorsement deals with companies like Adidas Basketball and Speed Stick. He also worked with an L.A. artist for a campaign that explored his interests outside of basketball. Ingram enjoys art and started by drawing basketball players and cartoon characters. He even took a portrait drawing class at Duke.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Play-in

Playoffs

College

Awards and Honors

NBA

• NBA All-Star (2020)
• NBA Most Improved Player (2020)
• 2× Rising Stars Challenge (2017, 2018)
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2017)

College

• Associated Press Honorable Mention (2016)
• ACC Rookie of the Year (2016)

High school

• 4× NCHSAA champion (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
• North Carolina Mr. Basketball (2015)
• McDonald's All-American (2015)
• First-team Parade All-American (2015)
• Nike Hoop Summit (2015)

See also

In Spanish: Brandon Ingram para niños